When Mom Meets Dad

by Smith, Karen Rose

  As her breasts pushed against his chest, he groaned.

  The sound was sensually stirring because he wanted her. How long had it been since a man had wanted her? How long had it been since she wanted a man? Sex had become a memory from her marriage, and not always an altogether pleasant one. But sex with Alex--

  Sex? She was thinking about sex? With a man she hardly knew? What was happening to her?

  As soon as the thoughts became louder than pleasure, she yanked away from him.

  "Whoa," he said, catching her before she fell from the bottom step. His voice was husky, his eyes hazy with lingering desire. And she knew she'd stopped just in time--before he got the wrong idea about her...about the whole situation.

  "The girls will be back any minute," she murmured.

  "That's why you pulled away?"

  She couldn't lie to him. "Not exactly."

  "What exactly?" he asked, his lawyer's determination to find out what he wanted to know evident in his tone.

  She couldn't tell him she was afraid of his kiss. She couldn't tell him she hadn't kissed a man since her husband. And she couldn't tell him she knew nothing about men and women dating or kissing--not right now.

  So...in order to cover her insecurity, she said, "It was just a kiss, Alex. It just happened. Now I have to get back to cleaning up my cellar."

  His stance became rigid, his expression guarded. "I see. Well, I guess Kristy was wrong. You don't need my help."

  "I appreciate you stopping by, Alex, but really, I have everything under control." Though she certainly didn't feel like it, with her knees still shaking and her hands trembling. She clutched them behind her back so he couldn't tell she was affected so strongly by him, let alone the touch of his lips on hers--and everything else that went with it.

  "Fine," he said, his jaw set as he mounted the stairs. Half way up he looked over his shoulder. "I'll be on time picking up Kristy tonight, Amanda."

  Summoning up every ounce of her composure, Amanda nodded. "She'll be ready."

  After a last long probing appraisal that made her feel naked as well as vulnerable, he climbed the stairs and disappeared from her sight.

  Amanda sagged against the wall. Alex Woodsides made her feel alive, confused and altogether too...hot.

  As she brushed her hair from her forehead, she took a deep cleansing breath and let it out slowly. She could get this basement cleaned up by supper time. After all, she had everything under control.

  ***

  Pulling out the deli containers from the refrigerator, Alex set them on the table at noontime on Saturday as Kristy and Heather ran into the screened-in porch and burst into the kitchen. The girls peeked into each container Alex had opened. "You have all my favorite things," Heather said, looking up at him.

  "That's because they're my favorite things, too," Kristy responded with a smile. "I'm glad your mom said you could stay for lunch."

  "She's gonna be busy this afternoon. I think she's going to get her hair trimmed."

  Alex wondered why Amanda was getting her hair cut. It didn't need it. Everything about her was perfect. Except... She'd given him the impression their second kiss had been no big deal. He had to admit, it had been a big deal to him. He'd wanted to take her then and there. He'd wanted to fly her to some remote island so they could be alone for a month. He'd wanted to... Damn! He'd wanted to satisfy a physical need and he might as well admit it. That was all.

  But he was still curious about Amanda and why she was getting her hair trimmed—if she was going out tonight. He didn't like pumping Heather for information, but a little investigating wouldn't hurt. "Is your mom going someplace special?" Alex asked.

  Heather hesitated only a few moments, then after a quick look at Kristy, she answered, "Uh...mom goes someplace special almost every weekend."

  "I see."

  Amanda's daughter went on, "She likes to get dressed up and wear perfume and lipstick and do her hair."

  Now he was sorry he'd asked. Amanda's nonchalance after their kiss told him she was probably experienced at dating and warding off men and kissing men—probably a different one every weekend. But he wasn't going to get into that with her daughter. Instead, he tore open a bag of potato chips and pushed them to the girls' side of the table.

  Suddenly he wasn't the least bit hungry.

  ***

  Kristy ran ahead of Heather, past the lean-to her dad had built, through the fringe of woods to the edge of the creek.

  When Heather caught up to her, she said, "Your dad told us to stay away from the creek."

  Glancing at her friend, Kristy grinned. "Dad worries too much. This old tree is a great bridge. You aren't afraid when we cross it, are you?"

  "A little." Heather brushed her ponytail from her shoulder. "But it's worth it to look down from up there." With a smile she pointed to the giant oak on the other side of the creek.

  Kristy hopped up onto the tree. Putting one foot in front of the other on the weather-beaten fallen truck connecting the two banks of the creek, she stretched out her arms for balance.

  Heather stepped up behind Kristy, keeping her gaze on the log. "Your dad was quiet at lunch."

  "Maybe he's thinking about asking your mom out."

  "Think he will?" Heather asked, afraid she was going to lose her balance, but proceeding anyway.

  "Well, you told him she likes to get dressed up. That was good." Kristy hopped up onto the bank and waited for Heather at the base of the oak.

  "And I didn't lie when I said she goes someplace special every weekend. She does. She goes to church!" Heather said as she reached the bank.

  "But he thought you meant out on dates."

  Heather shrugged as if to say she couldn't help what Alex thought.

  Kristy pushed her brown curls out of her eyes and said, "Let's climb."

  As usual, Kristy went up the oak first, jumping up to catch hold of the lowest branch, then shimmying her way to the trunk. She waited while Heather did the same. When she'd first met Heather, her new friend had been quiet, reading books more than she played outside. But as spring had come, Kristy had convinced Heather to play with her in the lean-to at the edge of the woods bordering her house. She'd also taught her how to climb a tree.

  They settled on their favorite branches, Kristy only about a foot above Heather. "I think we should tell your mom my dad's going out tonight," Kristy said.

  Heather swung her legs back and forth. "Why?"

  "So then she'll think it's really special when he asks her out."

  "If he asks her out."

  "He will. And he is going out tonight, you know."

  Heather looked puzzled. "He is?"

  "Yep, to the grocery store."

  Both girls swung their legs and laughed, sure their plan was going to work.

  ***

  Checking the final problem on Kristy's work sheet for accuracy Monday afternoon, Amanda was puzzled. Her student sat across from her working another set of math problems, but she didn't seem to be having any trouble doing them and every problem on the sheet in front of Amanda was correct. When the telephone rang, Amanda pushed her chair back and crossed to the counter, lifting the receiver from the wall phone.

  "Amanda, it's Alex."

  He didn't need to identify himself. She knew his voice. She also wondered where he'd gone on a date on Saturday night and, more important, who he'd taken. Kristy had told her that her dad was going out. Amanda shouldn't have been surprised. A man like Alex was certainly in demand. He probably had women lined up who couldn't wait to be seen on his arm. That thought had kept her coolly polite to Alex when he'd dropped Kristy off this morning. He'd been just as polite. She couldn't think about him or look at him without remembering that kiss.

  But she kept her voice even and calm, despite her racing pulse. "Hello, Alex. Do you need to talk to Kristy?"

  "No. I just wanted to warn you that I'll be a little late."

  "A little?" she asked.

  After a few moments of silence
, she heard his sigh. "The truth is, Amanda, I have an appointment at five and I don't know how long it will go. Is that a problem?"

  There was no reason she should make this difficult for Alex. She certainly didn't have any plans, and she enjoyed spending time with the girls as much as they enjoyed spending time with each other.

  Her voice softened. "No, it's not a problem. I'll find something to do that will keep them out of trouble. Not that they get into trouble."

  After a pause, he responded, "We're lucky, aren't we?"

  She knew exactly what he meant. Both girls were a joy to raise. "We are," she agreed.

  He suggested, "I could stop for ice cream on my way."

  Sometimes she felt as if he thought he owed her for taking care of Kristy. "Alex, I know you probably just want to get home. You don't have to."

  "So, you don't like ice cream?" he asked with amusement.

  She laughed. "Of course I do. Probably more than the girls--especially peanut butter ripple."

  "I can take a hint," he assured her.

  Thinking about a beautiful red-head on his arm, she tried to find the cool politeness she'd used that morning. But somehow in the midst of this conversation, she'd lost it. "Alex, don't worry about your appointment running long. I understand."

  There was a long, loud silence until finally he spoke again. "Are you dating anyone regularly?"

  That was an odd thing for him to ask, considering she wasn't dating anyone. She could be coy, she could play hard-to-get, and she could hide in her house and keep herself safe. But suddenly she didn't want to do any of those. "No, I'm not dating anyone regularly." And she waited for him to ask her out.

  But he didn't. He didn't even comment. He just said, "I'll be there as soon as I can. Thanks, Amanda." And he hung up.

  Amanda thought about their conversation all afternoon and still couldn't make heads nor tails of it. She'd been presumptuous to think Alex would ask her out, but if he didn't intend to, why had he asked if she was dating somebody regularly? Unless he was worried about her morals and how they'd affect his daughter. That thought made her a bit indignant.

  By the time the afternoon had passed and she'd made tacos for supper, she wasn't sure how she'd act around Alex when he arrived. In the meantime, she asked the girls if they'd like to make some chocolate chip cookies. Nothing went better with peanut butter ripple ice cream.

  Kristy and Heather were helping to shovel the last cookies off the tray onto the cooling rack when Alex appeared at the back door. His sharp rap brought Amanda's attention to him, and she wondered why the man always had such an impact on her. It had nothing to do with his rolled-up dress shirt sleeves, his tugged-down tie or even the slip of a smile as he held up the bag with the ice cream. Maybe it was because he was so tall or his shoulders so broad. Maybe it was because of just who he was, the whole package--male with a sense of determination and a strength she wished she could bottle, not to mention the sex appeal that just oozed from him. Why should any of that have an impact? she thought wryly.

  Heather called, "Come on in, Mr. Woodsides."

  Kristy looked at the shape of the bag and guessed, "Ice cream, Dad?"

  He nodded. "Mrs. Carson's favorite, I'm told." As he set the package on the table, he said, "Something smells terrific." When his gaze shifted from his daughter to Amanda, Amanda's pink-and-white knit top and pink shorts felt a little skimpy. But she'd dressed to bake cookies, and without air conditioning... She shouldn't care what she looked like, she thought, as she brushed her hair behind one ear, her cheeks suddenly hotter than they'd been a few moments before.

  An impulse or an attempt to get his attention off of her led her to pick up a cool cookie and hold it out to him. "Want to taste test?"

  His eyes immediately burned with a light that excited her. "Sure do," he responded, his voice deep and husky, reminding her again of their kiss.

  Certain she was reading something into his words that wasn't there, she picked up the canister on the counter and started storing the cooled cookies.

  "This is even better than my mother's," he remarked.

  "And Grandma makes great cookies," Kristy added.

  Amanda bumped his daughter's shoulder and said in an aside, "I think he just wants us to stack up a few more to have with that ice cream."

  Giggling, Kristy nodded her agreement as she and Heather went to another cupboard and pulled out dishes.

  "We can go out on the porch," Amanda suggested. "It's cooler out there."

  Barely ten minutes later, Alex and Amanda sat alone on the old-fashioned wooden porch swing, a good six inches between them. It hadn't taken long for Kristy and Heather to finish cookies and ice cream and head for the sliding board. Amanda suddenly wished she could go play with them. Sitting on the swing with Alex was tough on the nervous system.

  "Kristy's doing well with the work you're giving her," Alex commented. "I've been going over the work sheets and she's hardly making any mistakes."

  "I know." Still puzzled as to why Kristy had had trouble in the first place, Amanda asked, "Do you mind if I call her teacher?"

  "No. I don't mind. Is there a problem?"

  "I'd just like to find out exactly when she started falling back. She's an intelligent girl, Alex, and a hard worker. I'm not sure why she started having difficulty, and I'd like to find out when her teacher noticed it first happening."

  "It could be that math's just one of those subjects that causes a roadblock for her. But if you feel calling her teacher will help, go ahead."

  Amanda set her empty ice cream dish on the concrete beside her and decided she would.

  Out of the blue, Alex asked, "Do you like to dance?"

  It took her a while to shift gears. "Dance?"

  His smile was crooked. "Yeah, you know--waltz, tango, stand on the floor and wave your arms around making a fool out of yourself."

  She laughed. "Waltz, maybe. I've never tangoed, and as far as making a fool of myself anywhere, I try to avoid that as much as possible."

  His expression became more serious. "My high school reunion is on Saturday. They're having it in the reception hall at the Bridgeton Center. I was going to go alone, but it would definitely be more fun if I had a dance partner. Would you like to go with me?"

  The Bridgeton Center catered weddings and parties of all types. It was elegant, and Amanda knew she would have to spend money on a new dress if she said yes. So much for buying an air conditioner. But it had been a very long time since a man had asked her out. She and Jeff had met at a fraternity party, and she hadn't dated much up until that point. He'd been attentive and serious about her almost right from the start. She hadn't realized his controlling tendency could smother her and make her feel as though she couldn't make a correct decision until a year into their marriage when she was already pregnant.

  She'd been raised to believe in marriage and to give it every chance, and with a baby on the way, she'd wanted to. But Jeff's constant criticism, his orders, and finally his infidelity, had severed any bonds they had once forged. She was still wary of getting involved with anyone, but Alex wasn't asking her to get involved. He was asking her to accompany him to his high school reunion.

  When she didn't respond right away, he frowned. "If you already have plans..."

  Quickly she shook her head. "No. No, I don't. I think that sounds like fun."

  He looked relieved, and she wondered why he hadn't asked someone prior to this. Before she thought about it further, he asked, "Do you want Heather to come over and stay with Kristy, and I'll just take care of the sitter?"

  "What time do you think we'll be home?

  Alex shrugged. "Probably around midnight."

  "There's a teenager next door who babysits for me. I think it'll be better if Heather just stays here."

  Tilting his head, Alex studied her for a few moments. Then he asked, "How long have you been divorced?"

  "Three years." She didn't like to talk about her marriage, how she'd felt while she was married, how fo
olish that she hadn't read Jeff better from the beginning. So she turned the tables. "How about you?" she asked.

  Alex straightened. "I've never been married." Standing, he closed the subject. "I'd better get Kristy home."

  He'd never been married?

  She wondered if he had wanted to marry Kristy's mother, or if marriage was a foreign word to him as it was to a lot of men. Suddenly her decision to go out with him on Saturday night didn't seem to be such a good one. But she had second-guessed herself too much in the past. She wasn't going to start doing it now. One night, one date. It wouldn't ruin her life. It didn't even have to complicate her life.

  But as Alex called his daughter and Kristy came running to him, Amanda knew he was already complicating her life.

  She'd just have to be careful and not do anything impulsive.

  ***

  When Alex pulled up in front of Amanda's house and braked, he drew a deep breath. He felt like a teenager on his first date. Obviously, Amanda was used to dating. She even had a babysitter on call. He just wished this was as easy for him. His secretary's daughter was staying with Kristy tonight. Georgia had assured him her seventeen-year-old was reliable and dependable, but he'd made sure she had all the emergency numbers as well as his cell phone number, just in case. He was so used to having his parents as a back-up where Kristy was concerned.

  Opening his car door, he told himself he shouldn't expect too much from this evening. After all, he and Amanda hardly knew each other. Yet, on the other hand, he felt as if he'd known her a long time. She apparently didn't want to talk about her divorce anymore than he wanted to talk about his relationship with Rhonda. It had been such a mistake, except for Kristy. He'd never considered his daughter a mistake.

  Amanda's front door was open, but peering through the screen, he didn't see any sign of movement. So he rang the bell.

  Heather came running and opened the door. "Mom's almost ready. She's foolin' with her hair. Come on in and wait. I'm going out back. Debbie's gonna paint my nails for me."

  He supposed Debbie was the teenager who babysat. Feeling a bit uncomfortable being alone in Amanda's house, he chose a Boston rocker, but immediately stopped rocking when Amanda came down the hall.